Principles for Relationships from God's Word by Claudio Consuegra

The Sweet Honeycomb

Scripture: (Prov 16:24 NKJV) Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Observation: Another practical bit of marriage advice from Solomon.

Application: While these words don’t seem to be directed specifically to married couples – in reality they can apply to anyone and to any relationship – they are wonderful advice to a husband who wants to connect emotionally with his wife. My mother taught us, from the time we were small, to express public appreciation for even the simplest of acts – cooking, doing the laundry, mowing the lawn, putting up a nail on the wall to hang a picture, etc. In marriage, sometimes we begin to take each other for granted and eventually end up neglecting one another or neglecting to express appreciation for what each does for the other.
So, how do you praise your wife? Think about even small things she does, even the ones you think are normal, everyday, maybe even expected acts or responsibilities, and thank her and compliment her for them. Here are a few ideas and examples of what to thank her or compliment her for, and how to do it:
– Thank you for dinner; it was very good. Thank you for making an effort to prepare good, healthy, nutritious, good-tasting (your own words) meals.
– I appreciate you washing and folding my clothes; they smell good, it makes it easier for me to put them away, I’m glad I have clean clothes to wear . . . etc.
– I’m grateful that you are so careful with our funds, that you watch carefully our budget, that you don’t spend money unnecessarily, that you check with me before making large purchases. . . etc.
– I love the way that dress looks on you, that you take care of yourself, the way you conduct yourself around others, how kind you are to the kids, how sweet you are to me. . . etc.
– Thank you for keeping the house clean, I appreciate the way you decorate the house, the flowers/plants you got make our house look so nice and fresh. . .etc.
– Thank you for the many hours you work to help us with our finances, for the long hours you work outside the house (or at home), for your great contribution to our life (or home, or family). . . etc.

Dennis Rainey, in his Family Life Marriage Bible, writes: Speaking pleasant words to your spouse helps to establish and strengthen emotional connections. As you work to make a genuine connection with your words, go below the surface to the real issues of life. Share with her, for example, what goes on at work. Most women love hearing all the details. You’ll also discover that she can provide wise counsel on the issues you face.
Make a special effort, then, to use pleasant words with your spouse, words that build them up and encourage them, words that build emotional connections between the two of you, words that are “sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”

Prayer: Father, use our mouth and the words that come out of it to build up our spouse and thus strengthen our relationship.